Best Friends Plan to Grow Old Together in Geelong

Tania Differding and Ella Crofts knew they'd found something special the moment they met as teenagers in Geelong, Australia. Now 43, the two friends talk multiple times daily and are planning to spend their golden years together.

"We were best friends from the moment we met," says Tania. "I felt like I'd met my kindred spirit."

Their early friendship bloomed during late-night adventures in Tania's Holden Gemini, hitting the rave scene wearing matching bracelets that read "If lost return to Tania/Ella." They had matching cameras that captured almost no photos because they were too busy living in the moment.

That same spirit guides them today. Ella even named her house "Enjoy it while it lasts," complete with a plaque from Tania for the front door.

The friendship has weathered real storms. When Tania experienced a mental health breakdown four years ago and was diagnosed with depression, ADHD, and anxiety, Ella stepped in without hesitation. She did Tania's washing, cooked her meals, and sat with her at 2am on random Tuesdays.

When Ella's sister Steph died over a decade ago, Tania returned the support. "She says she didn't know how, but she was there for me," Ella shares. "It helped to fill the giant void and pulled me out of really dark places."

Their morning ritual includes phone calls on the way to work, often another at lunch, and always a goodnight call. "It always ends with a 'Good night, love you!' I go to bed with a smile," Tania says.

Sunny's Take

What makes this friendship remarkable is how seriously they take it. At 20, they joked about recreating Thelma and Louise when they hit 40. Now they're planning something better.

They're already discussing retirement communities where they can live together. They talk about building a commune to grow old in, playing their favorite music right until the end.

Both women have early onset Alzheimer's disease running in their families, but they face that possibility together. They're even planning to purchase neighboring ocean-view plots at Geelong Cemetery, joking it's the only time they'll afford a beach view.

"Even if one or both of us lose our memories, we'll still be together," Tania says. "And that doesn't make any of it seem so bad."

Their friendship challenges the cultural assumption that romantic relationships must come first. Despite both having partners throughout their lives, they consider each other soulmates.

When they lived together, they'd follow each other from room to room to keep conversations going, even sitting outside the bathroom door like five-year-olds. There's never any judgment between them, just unconditional support and endless laughter.

After 24 years of daily connection, they're proving that chosen family can be just as powerful as any other kind of love.